Mailing it In

No major content to post this morning, so like LeBron James in the 2010 playoffs, we’re mailing this one in. In lieu of prose, Cavs the Blog has opted for Art Bell style “open lines” today. Suggested topics? The trade deadline is two weeks away. Give us plausible trade scenarios. If you’d like to use the ESPN Trade machine, here it is.

All kidding aside, the team looks pretty awesome lately. Since Andy is injured, I don’t think they are going to make any big trades. Hopefully we don’t win too many games and fall down the draft board too far.

One of them is going to be the odd man out, unless Scott switches to pg. We’ve only seen a really small sample of Ellington, but I like his hustle on D. Still, when Miles gets going, you really don’t want anyone else shooting the ball.

I want to talk about:
-Any chance we make a trade and push for an 8 seed in this years playoffs? ( I know you guys touched on it in the podcast, and it intrigued me)
– Is Byron Scott the coach of the future?
-Would it potentially be bad for us to make the playoffs THIS year? Do we need another high draft pick, or playoff experience more?

@Mitchell Taylor – I don’t think making the playoffs this year is happening. Nor do I think it would be bad for the future at all. This coming draft is going to be about fit as there aren’t really many consensus BPAs. I don’t think any trades will be made out of a directive to make the playoffs this year. This team is clearly building for 2015 and beyond imo.

Looks like the 2014 draft is the draft to be hanging around the lottery. So they might be looking to land more picks for that draft.

If Danny Ainge calls you looking for a 1st round pick and cap relief? What would you offer for Garnett? Would you take on a Brandon Bass’s bad contract? As long as KI, TT, and DW stay put, I’d entertain a lot.

Talent contends for and wins championships, not five games of first-round playoff experience. The potential a top-5 draft pick offers exponentially outweighs the middling benefit of losing to the Miami Heat in a first-round playoff series. It’s not even close.

I don’t think we could get KG. KG has a no trade clause and can control where he plays. Look for him to go to Houston to play with McHale if he does get traded. I don’t think they look at breaking up the Celtics this year. I wouldn’t touch Brandan Bass’s contract with a 10 foot pole. Looking like he did a sign and retire this last summer.

topic: overall, is it good or bad for the Cavs future that AV got hurt?

bad: we could have traded him for at least 1 first rounder. his trade value is now a big question mark.
good: TT has gotten extended minutes and blossomed.
good: we were able to make the leur trade (we might not have had room on the roster to make that trade if AV is around).

This isn’t a trade, but an interesting scenario that occurred to me when thinking about all the Lebron in 2015 talk. There’s another pretty good player in Miami who would also be a perfect fit for the Cavs…Chris Bosh. He and Tristan would compliment each other very nicely down low, and if Waiters blossoms the Cavs could have a championship caliber inside-outside attack. Thoughts?

Hot Sauce
I think with TT playing how he is that it’s bad. A healthy AV would’ve been a great asset to trade. If not this year than next year. Now, with his injury history, he’s not going get us nearly what he would’ve gotten us a month ago.

1. Andy is worth more than a first round pick. Plain and simple. If you think this team needs more first round picks, and that’s it, you’re sorely mistaken. We have our own, plus 6(!) first round picks over the next few years. We need vets, guys. Look how much better Speights and Ellington made us – that’s not a coincidence.

2. Andy and TT can coexist together. Andy isn’t really an under-the-basket player – he usually starts at the perimeter and pick and rolls his way down there. He had also developed a half-decent 10-12 footer. TT likes to play near, but not completely down in the post. Their games would compliment at this point.

3. As far as I know, breaking bones and a pulmonary embolism aren’t usually related.

Bad. The Cavs now have figure out if they can rely on Andy as the starter for next season. Even though these latest injuries are fluky, it’s a risk. If they feel they can’t, then they have to spend big $$$ on a center to replace him. Personally, I think that’s the best move. Getting a center in the draft would takes several season to develop. Maybe this is why the Cavs want to sign Oden?

2. Andy is an older player who keeps getting injured. Whether or not those are related doesn’t matter. Staying healthy is a skill and he doesn’t have it. As he gets older, this is probably going to become worse.
3. Andy is a good player. But he is overrated by Cavs fans just like most fans overrate their own players. He’s most likely never going to be an All-Star. He’s a good solid player that if the team were closer to a championship you’d keep. Considering they aren’t, he should be traded for something of value.

Someone whose opinion I respect lately remarked that he thinks Andy’s biggest problem is that he is out of shape. He seems like he rolls out of bed and just plays ball. While he’s naturally strong, his muscle conditioning may be leaving him injury prone. A better training regimen may be what is required to keep Mr. Doughy Arms from getting hurt regularly. Anyway, it is pointless to discuss trading him till late this year or next year.

Stephen Curry is questionable for tonight with an ankle sprain, Harrison Barnes also questionable with a knee injury. Also, according to hoopshype, Bogut won’t play tonight. I guess he’s not ready for back-to-back games yet.

Nate, I’ve heard that theory, but its certainly not entirely true. The guy couldn’t play with the constant energy he does if he wasn’t in shape. Now I could see an argument that he needs to do more weights and less cardio, but the dude is clearly in shape.

I wouldn’t touch KG, why on earth would we want him to win a few more games the next 2 years, and then be much worse off when he retires and our youngins are hitting their prime? Worst idea ever.

I’m all aboard on Oden for 6 mil/yr for 2 years, team option on the second. I’m incredibly biased.

This is unrelated, but the Cavs need to start thinking about getting a legitimate defensive big man.

Call me crazy, but I’m worried about defending Andre Drummond. If the Cavs are poised for contention in, say, 2014-15, we will have to deal with Detroit’s big man duo of Monroe and Drummond – I don’t want a repeat of the 2009 ECF so we need to get a guy that can handle the legit bigs of the East.

Which is why Grant needs to do whatever it takes to draft Nerlens Noel.

MFII: Breaking bones and PE are related – or very easily can be. PEs start in the periphery – like a deep vein thrombosis. That can be caused by a variety of disturbances/surgeries/breaks/trauma, etc. The embolism is when the clot breaks free and travels to the lungs. Though usually it does start in the legs. It’s certainly possible it’s related.

The Cavs front office has purposely made their moves in the draft, free agency, and trades all in waiting for the hopeful return of Lebron in the summer of 2014.

If you look at their current roster/ future they have their All-Star PG in Kyrie, and hopeful fringe All-Stars in Dion and TT in a few years. The Cavs have also never pushed to actually replace Lebron with a solid SF in the draft, free agency, or trades since his departure.

As for this year its looking the Cavs will improve their record from last year, but not quite make the playoffs thus allowing them for a late lottery pick. With this latter lottery pick they can add another cheap, young player to come off their bench for the future.

With this roster it would be very tempting for Lebron to not only return to Cleveland, but to actually have a chance to compete for a championship his first year back.

However, I think the draft is not the way to go. Draft picks typically take a few seasons to develop and there’s always the risk of them being a bust. I think it would set the Cavs back. I’d rather see them go after Pekovic in FA after the season. Of course, this means you have Andy and his 9 mil salary coming off the bench. I like that idea, but it wouldn’t work in the long run. They would have to trade next season.

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=b27qpbp
of coarse we would throw in the lakers/heat pick this year along with a few second rounders and either next years 1st or the griz 1st rounder we have
Irving Dion Gee/draft pick T.T Love
what do you all think?

I agree with concern about lack of widebodies to defend Drummond in Monroe in two years. But given that concern….Nerlens Noel is NOT the answer. Just because he is tall and can jump does not mean he can handle that type of size underneath. Two years from now, Noel will be 20 years old, and probably will still weigh less than Tyler Zeller does at 22. Noel may be a good help defender in college, but he’s a LOOOOOOONG term project in the NBA. Even if we drafted him, he won’t be helping us in 2015. Drummond will plow through him like tissue paper.

That being said, we do need a wide-body down low to clog the lane. I think that’s a need filled by Free Agency. Those guys are role players with savvy who understand their role and don’t do much else; that’s not something you use a top-5 pick for. That’s a need you fill with a Kendrick Perkins/PJ Brown/Erick Dampier-type mid level exception (not that I’d advocate any of those players; but those player types).

What do you guys think about drafting anthony bennett? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5w2T6yqPRk
a little short for a PF but very athletic and skilled. dunks over anyone. Could play small with TT/Andy at 5 and bennett at 4

Best case scenario in this year draft in my opinion is getting a good center (Noel) and than getting Doug Mcdermott with our 2nd pick. Scouts aren’t that big on Mcdermott but I think a 6 8 sf/pf who’s shooting 500% from three will really stretch the floor for Kyrie and Dion. Plus he also got a great inside post game as well.

@B33 Bennet has been my favorite prospect for months. I dig that the Cavs greatest needs are SF and C, but I want the best player available. I certainly wouldn’t take Len or Zeller ahead of AB. Grant can always move a talented player later. It’s doubtful they’ll land Noel. He’s probably the only guy I would take over Bennet. NBA ready game and body. I don’t think 6’8” is that short for a PF. Larry Johnson and Rodman were 6’7.” Barkely was like 6’5.” Lebron is probably gonna be a full-time PF as he ages and he’s 6’8′.’

I’d be okay with Grant taking a flyer on Gobert or another center later in the draft. They bust so often and are so damn expensive in free agency they might as well take a flyer on centers later in the draft and let them develop in Canton then bring them up. There have been a slew of later pick centers who have developed into NBA players (Hibbert, Gasol, Jordan…).

The Lineup: (Click for Author’s Archive)

Nate Smith is an Associate Editor. He grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and moved to NE Ohio in 2000. He adopted the Cavs in 2003 and graduated from Kent State in 2009 with a BA in English. He can be contacted at oldseaminer@gmail.com or @oldseaminer on Twitter.

Tom Pestak is an Associate Editor. He's from the west side of Cleveland and lives and (mostly) dies by the success and (mostly) failures of his beloved teams. You can watch his fanaticism during Cavs games @tompestak.

Robert Attenweiler is a Staff Writer. Originally from OH, he's long made his home in NYC where he writes plays and screenplays (www.disgracedproductions.com) some of which end up being about Ohio, basketball or both. He has also written for The Classical and the blog Raising the Cadavalier. You can contact him at rattenweiler@gmail.com or @cadavalier.

Benjamin Werth is a Staff Writer. He was born in Cleveland and raised in Mentor, OH. He now lives in Germany where he is an opera singer and actor. He can be reached at blfwerth@gmail.com.

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